﻿BIRDS. 
  

  

  3 
  

  

  To 
  return 
  to 
  the 
  earlier 
  records: 
  — 
  As 
  early 
  as 
  1844 
  it 
  is 
  stated 
  

   in 
  the 
  Fauna 
  of 
  Moray 
  that 
  Starlings 
  are 
  ' 
  seen 
  almost 
  every 
  year 
  

   in 
  small 
  flocks 
  of 
  from 
  four 
  to 
  eight 
  in 
  the 
  spring 
  and 
  autumn, 
  and 
  

   even 
  sometimes 
  in 
  December. 
  A 
  few 
  like 
  a 
  brood 
  has 
  been 
  the 
  

   only 
  indication 
  of 
  their 
  breeding 
  in 
  this 
  part 
  of 
  Scotland.' 
  These 
  

   notes 
  are 
  of 
  considerable 
  interest. 
  In 
  1845, 
  however, 
  in 
  the 
  New 
  

   Statistical 
  Account 
  of 
  the 
  parish 
  of 
  Ardersier, 
  Starlings 
  were 
  recorded 
  

   as 
  having 
  nested 
  in 
  the 
  churchyard 
  there 
  on 
  the 
  5th 
  June 
  1841. 
  

   The 
  fact 
  is 
  mentioned 
  in 
  connection 
  with 
  certain 
  meteorological 
  

   observations 
  which 
  are 
  given 
  (New 
  Statistical 
  Account, 
  vol. 
  xiv. 
  

   p. 
  464), 
  and 
  mentions 
  Starlings 
  as 
  having 
  'hatched 
  young 
  broods 
  

   in 
  the 
  neighbourhood 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  parish' 
  as 
  an 
  uncommon 
  

   circumstance 
  (op. 
  ext. 
  p. 
  466). 
  

  

  The 
  Fauna 
  of 
  Moray 
  (1889 
  edition) 
  says 
  that 
  'a 
  few 
  (two 
  on 
  

   one 
  occasion 
  and 
  three 
  on 
  another) 
  were 
  seen 
  in 
  the 
  midst 
  of 
  a 
  very 
  

   severe 
  snowy 
  and 
  frosty 
  season 
  — 
  viz., 
  December 
  1878.' 
  When 
  

   Captain 
  Dunbar-Brander 
  was 
  a 
  young 
  man 
  the 
  Starling 
  was 
  so 
  scarce 
  

   that 
  its 
  appearance 
  was 
  mentioned 
  in 
  the 
  papers 
  and 
  birds 
  were 
  sent 
  

   to 
  the 
  stuffer. 
  Now, 
  there 
  are 
  thousands 
  sleeping 
  every 
  night 
  in 
  the 
  

   reeds 
  of 
  Loch 
  Spynie, 
  but 
  mostly 
  disappearing 
  in 
  winter. 
  It 
  is 
  

   spoken 
  of 
  as 
  formerly 
  rare 
  at 
  Abernethy, 
  but 
  is 
  now 
  common 
  and 
  

   breeding 
  freely. 
  'In 
  1851 
  the 
  Starlings 
  have 
  been 
  most 
  abundant, 
  

   and 
  continue 
  longer 
  than 
  hitherto 
  observed 
  to 
  do. 
  Some 
  people 
  

   imagine, 
  with 
  a 
  degree 
  of 
  probability, 
  that 
  they 
  have 
  been 
  delayed 
  

   by 
  the 
  abundance 
  of 
  a 
  small 
  caterpillar, 
  Plutilla 
  cruciferarum, 
  which 
  

   attacked 
  in 
  incredible 
  numbers 
  the 
  turnips, 
  and 
  afforded 
  ample 
  

   food 
  for 
  these 
  birds 
  ' 
  (Rev. 
  W. 
  Forsyth, 
  in 
  lit. 
  and 
  vivd 
  voce). 
  

  

  Starlings 
  are 
  certainly 
  now 
  — 
  or 
  have 
  been 
  of 
  late 
  years 
  — 
  invad- 
  

   ing 
  even 
  the 
  clearances 
  and 
  crofting 
  lands 
  amongst 
  the 
  pine 
  forests. 
  

   On 
  9th 
  May 
  1892 
  we 
  saw 
  several 
  pairs 
  near 
  Loch 
  Garten, 
  and 
  were 
  

   informed 
  by 
  Mr. 
  E. 
  Collie 
  that 
  several 
  pairs 
  had, 
  uithin 
  the 
  last 
  few 
  

   years, 
  taken 
  possession 
  of 
  old 
  Woodpeckers' 
  holes 
  at 
  the 
  back 
  of 
  

   Carnacnuic 
  (or 
  Carnacruinch, 
  as 
  pronounced). 
  It 
  is 
  also 
  invading 
  

   Glen 
  More, 
  and 
  has 
  become 
  common 
  of 
  late 
  years 
  at 
  Glen 
  More 
  

   Lodge. 
  So 
  these 
  and 
  Jackdaws 
  are 
  penetrating 
  even 
  into 
  the 
  pine 
  

   woods. 
  

  

  By 
  1893 
  the 
  increase 
  became 
  startlingly 
  patent, 
  and 
  the 
  bird 
  is 
  

   now 
  literally 
  swarming 
  over 
  all 
  the 
  ground 
  already 
  spoken 
  of, 
  and 
  

   has 
  reached 
  Inchrory 
  on 
  the 
  Avon, 
  where 
  a 
  few 
  pairs 
  nested 
  in 
  

  

  